#95 - Tad Stoermer: The Founding Fathers Were Not Your Heroes

In this deeply compelling and eye-opening episode, we sat down with historian and viral TikTok creator Tad Stoermer, whose work dismantles the "Patriot Myth" and reimagines the American narrative. With a resume that includes Colonial Williamsburg, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and a PhD in history, Tad is anything but your typical academic. We unpack how his journey from Capitol Hill to the classroom — and eventually to social media — led him to challenge everything he’d been taught about the founding of the United States. His powerful deconstruction of the sanitized version of history we’ve all been fed is nothing short of radical truth-telling. Tad’s upcoming book, Resistance: A History of the United States, aims to reframe the American story through the lens of those who have fought back — often at great personal cost — in the name of equity and justice. In this episode, we dig into why real resistance isn’t about fast wins, how joy itself can be an act of rebellion, and why he believes the stories we’ve erased are actually where the real American heroes live. Oh, and we talk about why Alexander Hamilton might’ve been, well, kind of an asshole. You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, and you’ll walk away changed. CONNECT WITH TAD: 📚 Look out for this book: Resistance: A History of the United States (March 2026) 📱 TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Patreon, and Substack: @tadstoermer CONNECT WITH US: 📩 Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform 📱 Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: The “Patriot Myth” isn’t just a distortion — it’s a strategic narrative rooted in exclusion. Real resistance is a long game, not a quick fix. Deconstructing history means challenging your own education. Joy, creativity, and curiosity are essential tools of resistance. TikTok might be the most unexpected — and effective — classroom in America right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices